BRITISH and American troops in Afghanistan have raised almost £2,000 in the blistering desert heat for a disabled Newport boy.

The family of two-year-old Casey Hard, from Coedkernew, who was born with severe brain damage, have helped to raise thousands of pounds to buy specialist equipment for their son which they could otherwise never afford.

Relatives, friends and complete strangers have pitched in and raised more than £10,000 for the tot under the banner of Casey’s Cause, the Hard family’s fundraising initiative.

The family have bought a specialised bed, chair, sensory toys and air conditioning for Casey’s bedroom, as well as paying for numerous hospital visits thanks to the fund.

Now, former RAF colleagues of Casey’s father, Anthony, who has just undergone surgery for a brain tumour for the second time, have raised more than £1,800 in the heat of the Afghanistan desert, where they are posted.

Mr Hard, 34, is to be medically discharged from the RAF, where he worked as an aircraft engineer for 17 years, after his short-term memory was impaired by repeated surgery.

“A friend of mine in the forces, Flight Sergeant Tracey Williams, who I knew from St Athan, was sent to Afghanistan,” said Mr Hard, who with wife Nahella, 33, also has a daughter, Reagan, ten.

“She was aware of Casey’s Cause and organised a 5km fun run – or race, because the forces are quite competitive – in the desert heat, and also a quiz night when British and American armed forces came together to raise more than £1,800.

“They had T-shirts printed and everything. It’s fantastic, especially to come from Afghanistan. We would like to thank everybody who supports Casey’s Cause.”

Closer to home, children at St Michael’s Primary School, in Pill, where Mr Hard’s mother taught for many years, were inspired by Casey’s story to raise the most money for Ty Hafan children’s hospice in Sully, near Cardiff.

Two recent golf days, organised by Melin Homes in Torfaen and Total Workwear in Newport, raised £3,000 each and were sponsored by Lloyds TSB, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Tiger Tiger nightclub and the Cardiff Devils.

Now the family hopes to set up a wet room and downstairs bedroom for Casey, who turned two on Saturday.

They hope that within four months their son can be fitted with a stomach “peg” to help him feed, as he is currently using a nasal feeding tube after he started to inhale food.

“The peg is less traumatic and if he gets better it can be reversed,” said Mr Hard, who is himself awaiting the results of his first brain scan since radiotherapy for a cancerous tumour in April this year.

“Casey has been placed on the emergency waiting list and we have said if there is a cancellation we are fully prepared to go in at short notice.”

Mr Hard is also considering taking up a career in fundraising, or his other passion, fitness, after being medically discharged from the RAF.

“It is the end of an era,” he said. “I was expecting it because my short term memory is terrible now and I was an aircraft technician and a supervisor.

“I quite fancy becoming a fitness instructor because I love my gym and I’ve been going for 17 years.”

To donate to Casey’s Cause visit www.facebook.com/CaseyBearsCause and click ‘About’ to find the PayPal link.